Sucess Stories
Buddy
Buddy, a four-year-old Rottweiler, initially presented with significant reactivity toward people, dogs, bicycles, and vehicles, along with a complete lack of leash manners. His behavioral challenges were so severe that four trainers had previously declined to work with him. As a result, Buddy had not been walked in public for over two years.
​
When I began working with Buddy, the first priority was helping him feel comfortable simply being outside. It quickly became clear that his reactivity stemmed from deep anxiety and a lack of confidence—he was not aggressive, but rather trying to protect his owners from perceived threats.
​
Through a structured, confidence-building approach, Buddy made remarkable progress. Within six weeks, he was walking calmly on a lead and able to pass by members of the public without reacting—a milestone that once seemed out of reach.
​
I am incredibly proud of Buddy and the progress he has made. His transformation is a testament to what patience, understanding, and the right guidance can achieve.
Indie
Indie is a 3-year-old Border Collie who initially presented with a range of behavioural challenges, including excessive barking, lunging, dog reactivity, intermittent recall, and over-arousal—often resulting in mouthing behaviours or uncontrollable barking.
​
At our first meeting, Indie exhibited significant anxiety and became reactive when I attempted to engage with her. To reduce stress and create positive associations, we introduced Lickimats inside the home during my visits. This strategy proved highly effective in helping Indie feel more comfortable with my presence.
​
As we transitioned to outdoor work, Indie demonstrated reactivity towards cars, people, and other dogs—frequently lunging and barking. Through a structured 5-week training program focused on desensitisation and counterconditioning, Indie made remarkable progress. Her reactions to external stimuli significantly decreased; she now calmly acknowledges passing triggers such as vehicles without escalation.
​
We also addressed her recall by implementing long-line training techniques, which have led to substantial improvements. Her dog reactivity has now reduced to near zero, thanks to consistent positive reinforcement and carefully managed socialisation.
Indie has made outstanding progress, and we are incredibly proud of the strides she has taken. Well done, Indie!
Jackson
Jackson, a 3-year-old Cockapoo, was presented with several behavioural concerns including lead-related barking (both on and off lead), jumping up at visitors, resource guarding, and signs of general anxiety.
Our initial focus was on teaching Jackson a “settle” behaviour to provide him with a calming reset during moments of heightened anxiety. This technique allowed him to observe his surroundings without becoming overstimulated or crossing his behavioural threshold.
​
As Jackson became more confident and relaxed, we implemented positive reinforcement strategies tailored to his individual pace. This approach proved effective in reducing his anxiety and increasing his overall calmness. We used the positive swap method for his resource guarding and since we used this method he has no longer became possessive over his toys.
​
To address his lead-related challenges, we introduced the “sit and wait” command alongside “heel” training, improving both his impulse control and walking behaviour. For the barking, we incorporated clicker training to shape more desirable behaviours. Each time Jackson remained quiet while on the lead, a click followed by a reward was used to reinforce the calm behaviour.
​
After three weeks of consistent training, Jackson showed significant improvement. He no longer barked while on or off the lead, and his overall anxiety had decreased substantially.​We are incredibly proud of the progress Jackson has made and commend his dedication and adaptability throughout the training process.
Benson
Benson is an 18-month-old Lurcher cross Border Collie with unique needs, as he was born deaf. This made his case particularly specialised, requiring a tailored approach to both communication and behavioural intervention.
​
Benson was referred to me due to his reactivity towards both people and other dogs, as well as exhibiting obsessive-compulsive behaviours such as shadow chasing and excessive barking. One of the initial challenges was developing an effective method of communication, given his deafness, which made traditional auditory interruption cues ineffective.
To address this, we introduced a ball as a primary focus tool. When Benson began to display compulsive behaviours, engaging him with the ball redirected his attention and disrupted the behaviour. This activity was then extended to the garden, creating a structured, positive outlet that helped reduce both his OCD behaviours and underlying anxiety.
​
In addition, we worked on establishing a clear system of hand signals to improve communication and support his ongoing training. Benson has also shown remarkable improvement in his lead manners, and his overall progress in such a short period has been outstanding.
​
We’re incredibly proud of Benson and the strides he has made. His journey is a testament to how adaptive strategies and consistent, positive reinforcement can help dogs with complex needs thrive.
​
